Paul Berends - photographer at hazazaH Film & Photography

Paul Berends

Paul is always creating stories – ever since he was a young boy according to his mother. While he studied Economics at the University (what a horrendous choice that was, according to himself) his roommate who was a photographer inspired him to try the same, went to art school after that and ended up assisting legendary Peruvian/American photographer Mario Testino. To make a long story short.

That was almost 20 years ago. Since then, he has traveled the world as a photographer and worked for magazines and brands like Elle, Vice, Heineken, and Chloé.

In both his editorial and commercial work, Paul likes to tell an upbeat story that’s positive and powerful. Plus, there’s always room for diversity. Rebelliousness, inclusivity, and utter freedom – in all shapes and colors – inspire him ultimately.

Paul loves to visit extreme and extraordinary places and has been to Africa more than once. It’s such a vast continent, which so much diversity and rawness and complexity; it never stops to amaze him.
He also has a soft spot for cities. Preferably the outskirts, the off places, where the real people live and ‘melt’.

What he’s looking for in a shoot are spontaneity and coincidence/chance. Or as he states: ‘I don’t have a specific way of working other than that creating a concept with the team – and then getting out of my head and into the moment… because that’s where the magic happens.’

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